The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
1923 is Extró Profumi's nod to a specific year, but the house keeps the reference tight rather than spelled out. What lands in the bottle is a study in contrasts, the kind that reads old-world without tipping into dust. The composition pulls from two traditions at once: the green aromatic sharpness of a Mediterranean cologne, and the warm density of a Mediterranean heart built around orange blossom. Pine at the top is deliberate. It keeps things from drifting into sweetness. The whole thing reads like a found photograph, faded at the edges but still carrying its weight.
The interesting choice here is what isn't there. No oud, no heavy amber, no tobacco to anchor the base. Instead, the composition rests on neroli and musk, which keeps the drydown close and almost translucent. The neroli is listed among the base notes alongside the musk, giving the floral character a softer, more skin-like quality as it wears. Patchouli and petitgrain in the heart hold the herbal thread that pine starts. The pine up top is brisk and resinous, a sharp green needle of a note that almost reads as outdoor air.
The evolution
The first ten minutes belong to pine and orange blossom, and the combination feels almost outdoors, like resinous trees against bright citrus peel. The rose threads in quietly, not so much a bouquet as a suggestion of warmth. By the thirty-minute mark, the lavender and petitgrain take over the conversation. The sharpness softens. Patchouli grounds the herbal lift without making it heavy. Two hours in, the composition has settled into a close, musky drydown where neroli does something unexpected. Instead of retreating, it warms up and blooms slightly, giving the musk a faint golden edge. What lasts into the next morning is a clean skin scent, barely floral, almost intimate.
Cultural impact
Released in 2023 by Extró Profumi, 1923 draws on a straightforward note vocabulary: orange blossom and pine up top, petitgrain and patchouli in the heart, and a base of neroli resting on musk. The fragrance wears with a clear citrus-aromatic opening, where orange blossom lends its soft, honeyed floralcy and pine contributes a dry, resinous greenness. As the opening softens, petitgrain takes over with its leafy, slightly bitter character, and patchouli grounds the middle with its earthy dampness. The base settles into a close, skin-like finish where neroli and musk carry the composition forward.
